Apparatus for Operating Robots

• US 20170021496A1
• Filed: 03/21/2016
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso PS Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso PS Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: KANADA, Motoki, SUGANO, Atsuko, TOUMA, Hirota
• Granted Patent: US 9,782,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/161 Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1656 characterised by programming, planning systems for manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36168 Touchscreen
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39446 Display of manipulator and workpiece and jog directions

Abstract

A pendant provided with a touch panel is provided as a robot operating apparatus. Using the pendant, an operating position of, for example, an operator'"'"'s touch operation on the touch panel is detected. In the pendant, by calculation responding to the touch operation, a coordinate system having axes is set on the touch panel in response to the touch operation, in which the axes are associated with the axes of a robot. A determination area is also set on the touch panel in the periphery of a start position of the touch operation. The determination area has a predetermined size. In the pendant, an axis being operated of the robot is selected based on an arrival position of the touch operation in the determination area. An operating area on the touch panel is set with the arrival position as the center of the determination area, ensuring a highly-reliable touch operation.

Claims

1. An apparatus for operating a robot, the apparatus comprising:

a touch panel to which a touch operation by a user is inputted;

an operating position detecting unit that detects an operating position when the touch operation is inputted to the touch panel;

a coordinate system setting unit that sets, on a panel plane of the touch panel, a coordinate system in which a start position that is an operating position at which the touch operation is started serves as a point of origin, and with which axes of a robot to be operated are associated in advance;

a determination area setting unit that sets a determination area having a size that is set in advance;

an axis selecting unit that selects the axis to be operated, among the axes of the robot associated with the coordinate axes, based on an arrival position that is an operating position at which the determination area is reached; and

an operating area setting unit that sets an operating area having a width that is set in advance with the arrival position as a center.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

an axis switching unit that switches the axis to be operated based on whether or not the operating position is within the operating area, wherein

the coordinate system setting unit sets a coordinate system that has two coordinate axes that are orthogonal to each other, and in which the axes of the robot are associated in advance with the coordinate axis together with positive and negative action directions, and two axes of the robot associated with the coordinate axes are associated with predetermined areas of a first quadrant, a second quadrant, a third quadrant, and a fourth quadrant together with the action directions thereof,

the axis selecting unit, based on whether the axis selected as the axis to be operated is a single axis or two axes, sets single-axis mode as an operating mode for operating the robot when a single axis is selected, the single-axis mode being that in which the single axis is operated alone, and sets two-axis mode as the operating mode when two axes are selected, the two-axis mode being that in which the two axes are simultaneously operated,

the operating area setting unit sets the operating area as an area over which the operating mode set by the axis setting unit is continued, and

the axis switching unit switches the operating mode from single-axis mode to two-axis mode or from two-axis mode to single-axis mode when the operating position leaves the operating area.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the operating area setting unit sets a new operating area of which the center is a departure position that is an operating position at which the operating position leaves the operating area, when the axis switching unit switches the axis to be operated.

5. The apparatus according to any one of claim 1, wherein:

the operating area setting unit modifies the width of the operating area based on a distance from the arrival position.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claim 1, wherein:

the operating area setting unit sets the operating area such that a center line of the operating area runs along an operating direction that indicates a direction from the start position to the arrival position.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claim 1, wherein:

the operating area setting unit sets a new operating area of which the center is a departure position that is an operating position at which the operating position leaves the operating area, when the axis switching unit switches the axis to be operated.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the operating area setting unit modifies the width of the operating area based on a distance from the start position to the arrival position.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the operating position detecting unit detects respective operating positions of a plurality of touch operations inputted to the touch panel; and

the determination area setting unit sets the determination area when the operating position detecting unit detects the plurality of operating positions.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the determination area setting unit sets the determination area for each of the plurality of detected operating positions.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the axis selecting unit selects the axis to be operated based on the arrival position in the determination area on a side at which the operating position arrives at the determination area first, when the plurality of determination areas are set.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the determination area setting unit sets the determination area at the operating position detected first, among the plurality of detected operating positions.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the determination area setting unit sets the determination area at the operating position that is detected later, among the plurality of detected operating positions.

2. An apparatus for operating a robot, the apparatus comprising:

a touch panel to which a touch operation by a user is inputted;

an operating position detecting unit that detects an operating position when the touch operation is inputted to the touch panel;

a coordinate system setting unit that sets, on a panel plane of the touch panel, a coordinate system in which a start position that is an operating position at which the touch operation is started serves as a point of origin, and with which axes of a robot to be operated are associated in advance;

a determination area setting unit that sets a determination area having a size that is set in advance;

an axis selecting unit that selects the axis to be operated, among the axes of the robot associated with the coordinate system, based on a positional relationship with an arrival position that is an operating position when a determination period that is prescribed in advance elapses from the start of the touch operation; and

an operating area setting unit that sets an operating area having a width that is set in advance with the arrival position as a center.

16. The apparatus according to claim 2, comprising:

an axis switching unit that switches the axis to be operated based on whether or not the operating position is within the operating area, wherein

the coordinate system setting unit sets a coordinate system that has two coordinate axes that are orthogonal to each other, and in which the axes of the robot are associated in advance with the coordinate axis together with positive and negative action directions, and two axes of the robot associated with the coordinate axes are associated with predetermined areas of a first quadrant, a second quadrant, a third quadrant, and a fourth quadrant together with the action directions thereof,

the axis selecting unit, based on whether the axis selected as the axis to be operated is a single axis or two axes, sets single-axis mode as an operating mode for operating the robot when a single axis is selected, the single-axis mode being that in which the single axis is operated alone, and sets two-axis mode as the operating mode when two axes are selected, the two-axis mode being that in which the two axes are simultaneously operated,

the operating area setting unit sets the operating area as an area over which the operating mode set by the axis setting unit is continued, and

the axis switching unit switches the operating mode from single-axis mode to two-axis mode or from two-axis mode to single-axis mode when the operating position leaves the operating area.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein:

the operating area setting unit sets a new operating area of which the center is a departure position that is an operating position at which the operating position leaves the operating area, when the axis switching unit switches the axis to be operated.

18. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the operating area setting unit modifies the width of the operating area based on a distance from the arrival position.

19. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the operating area setting unit sets the operating area such that a center line of the operating area runs along an operating direction that indicates a direction from the start position to the arrival position.

20. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the operating area setting unit sets a new operating area of which the center is a departure position that is an operating position at which the operating position leaves the operating area, when the axis switching unit switches the axis to be operated.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for operating a robot, the instructions comprising;

detecting an operating position at which a touch operation is inputted to a touch panel;

setting, on a panel plane of the touch panel, a coordinate system in which a start position that is an operating position at which the touch operation is started serves as a point of origin, and with which axes of a robot to be operated are associated in advance;

setting a determination area having a size that is set in advance, in a periphery of the start position;

selecting the axis to be operated, among the axes of the robot associated with the coordinate axes, based on a positional relationship between the start position and an arrival position that is an operating position at which the determination area is reached;

setting an operating area having a width that is set in advance with the arrival position as a center; and

switching the axis to be operated based on whether or not the operating position is within the operating area.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for operating a robot, the instructions comprising;

detecting an operating position at which a touch operation is inputted to a touch panel;

setting, on a panel plane of the touch panel, a coordinate system in which a start position that is an operating position at which the touch operation is started serves as a point of origin, and with which axes of a robot to be operated are associated in advance;

selecting the axis to be operated, among the axes of the robot associated with the coordinate axes, based on a positional relationship with an arrival position that is an operating position when a determination period that is prescribed in advance elapses from the start of the touch operation;

setting an operating area having a width that is set in advance with the arrival position as a center; and

switching the axis to be operated based on whether or not the operating position is within the operating area.